Water-gage.



' F. A. PococK.

WATER GAGE. APPLICATION mfp Nov. 22. @am

Patented Sept.I 4; 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE.

FRANCIS .A. IPOCOCK, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

waren-creen.

Application led November 22, 1913.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS A. Pocoox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Water- Gages, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in water gages and the like, and has for its object to provide an exceedingly simple and effective device of this description which will so equalize the pressure and temperature upon the transparent portion of the gage as to prevent breakage of the glass. containing members, and in the event of breakage, overcome the danger of the outrush of hot water and steam scalding the engineer, fireman or other attendant or injuring the same from flying glass.

A further object of my invention is to provide a temperature and pressure equalizing chamber between two transparent members, and a still further object of my invention is to embody this last named principle in various forms, each being especially adapted for use under certain conditions.

A still further object of my invention is to provide means for determining and regulating the amount of pressure between the two transparent members, in such manner that when this pressure exceeds the predetermined limit, the excess will be blown olf.

With these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction in detail, referring by numeral to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gage made in accordance with my invention the lower portion thereof being in section, in which two tubular glass members are used, each having two separate packings contained in adjustable glands for tightening said packings against the ends of said tubular members and a reflector shield surrounding the transparent tubular members.

Fig. 2 is a section at the line f-fof Fig. 1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 4, 1917.k

Serial. N0. 802,351.

, F ig. 3 is an. elevation of the reflector shield shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 is a plan and edge view of the packing washers, used in the ends of the reflector shield.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of one end of the gage made in accordance with the construction shown in Fig. 1, but having the addition of a transparent lining for the reflector shield member.

Fig. 6 is a central verticalv section of one end of the gage, embodying all the features shown in Fig. 1, but illustrating a means for determiningv the pressure between the inner and outer transparent members, and

Fig. 7 is a central section of a combined blow olf and drain valve, for regulating the pressure between the two transparent members of the gage and for draining said space.

The principal object of my invention being to provide two transparent Vmembers having a pressure and temperature equalizing space therebetween, I have shown a simple fixture for utilizing this principle,

in which l represents a shield in the formvk of 'a metal tube, having observation slots therein, and having threaded thereon the gland nuts 18 carrying the packing 19 which surrounds and packs the ends of the outer glass tube 20, while the gland nuts 21 are threaded on to gland nuts 18 and carry `the packings 23 which surround and pack the ends of the inner glass tube 24, thus sealing the space between the two glass tubes and accomplishing the resultsbeforey named, while at the same time permitting the removal of the inner glass tube without disturbing the outer glass. tube, so that should the inner tube be broken from any cause, it may be readily replaced. 25 represents the washer disk which is set ineach end of the shield tube 1, to give a proper bearing to the packings 19. While I have shown the shield 1 as having two slots therein opposite each other,. it is obvious that it may have but one slot, and I have found in practice that whenthe inner walls of this shield tube are enameled white or otherwise treated, so as to reliect light in a-large degree, a single slot therein` produces excellent results, distinctly showing up the water line in the inner glass tube. In Fig. 5 I have added to the construction shown in Fig. 1 by lining the inner walls of the gage tube 1 with mica as indicated at 26. j

This will protect the outer glass tube 2O from the atmospheric temperature which is always lower than the temperature of the steam and water inside of the gage, and thus the endurance of this outer tube is increased or the liability of its breaking is lessened should the inner tube break and the steam and hot water be suddenly projected against the walls of the outer glass tube.

This construction also prevents the flying of thefsmall particles of glass should both glass tubes break, which is an important feature for locomotive and marine practice.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a means for predetermining the pressure, between the inner glass tube and the outer glass tube and blowing o this pressure when it exceeds the predetermined point, and this arrangement consists of the nipple 27, threaded into one of the gland nuts 18 and having a blow out disk 28 confined at the end thereof so that should the pressure in the space between the two glass tubes exceed a predetermined amount this disk will be blown out, and the water and steam escape through the nipple, which may be led by suitable pipes beyond the point of danger to the engineer, and this is especially desirable in railway locomotive practice where the engineer is confined in a small cab in which the gage is located and from which he cannot well escape when the locomotive is ruiming at high speed, and is often seriously scalded when a water gage breaks.

Instead ofutilizing a blow out disk and drain valve as above described, I have shown in Fig. 7 a combined drain and blow out valve which under some conditions will better serve the purpose, and this consists of the casing 43 having a valve seat therein upon which the valve 44 is adapt-- ed to close, said valve having a spring 45 for normally holding it upon its seat, said spring being compressed by the nut 46, and the stem 47 of the valve'passes through this nut and has attached thereto the lever 48 by which the valve may be drawn 0H its seat for draining the interior of the casing. This casing has its inner end threaded in order that it may be screwed into the casing of the gage in place of the nipple 37 and also is provided with the outlet 50, to which a suitable drain pipe may be attached for conveying the steam and water outside of the cab.

When the valve just described is used with my improved gage, the tension of the spring 45 may be so set as to determine the point at which the valve will blow oii, thus maintaining a given pressure within the space between the glass tubes 2O and 24, and yet when this pressure increases beyond the predetermined point it will be immediately relieved so as Ato prevent the breaking of the glass tubes.

By the use of this form of gage upon a locomotive, should one of the members break, the engineer would still have recourse to the other member to determine the water level in the boiler and this is of importance on high speed express locomotives, as the engineer when running has no time to operate, to adjust or repair a gage, and it would be only necessary should one member of the gage break to close the valves of the passageways leading to that particular member, thus leaving the other member in service.

0f course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as herein shown, as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, is-

l. A sight gage consisting of a slotted metal shield, a lining of mica placed against the inner walls of said shield, a glass tube located within the shield, means for packing the ends of said glass tube, a second glass tube located within the First named glass tube, the ends thereof projecting beyond the ends ofthe first named glass tube, and means for packing the ends of the second glass tube as speciiied.

2. In a device of the character stated, a slotted metal tube, a glass tube within said tube and concentric therewith, means for packing said glass tube, another glass tube within the iirst named glass tube and concentric therewith, means for packing said second glass tube independently of the rst named glass tube, means for blowing off surplus pressure between the two glass tubes, consisting of a casing provided with a valve seat in communication with the space between the glasses, a spring actuated valve tted to its seat and means for drawing said valve oif its seat.

3. In a device of the character stated, end members provided with means for attachment to a boiler fixture, one of said end members being provided with an opening, a slotted metal tube mounted in said end members, an outer glass tube mounted in said end vmembers concentric with the metal tube,

means for packing said glass tube intermediate its ends, another glass tube mounted in the end members within the irst named glass tube and concentric therewith, means for packing said second glass tube intermediate its ends and independent of the iirst named glass tube, and means mounted in the opening in one of the end members for relieving the pressure between said glass tubes, said means comprising a casing having an outlet and provided with a valve seat, a spring actuated valve plug mounted within said casing and means for drawing said valve plug off its seat.

4. In a device of the character stated, end

members, a slotted metallic tube mounted in said end members a plurality of concentric glass tubes of different diameters situated within one another and mounted in the end members, means for independently packing said tubes within the end members intermediate their ends and a transparent tube of greater diameter than the glass tubes mounted within the end members.

5. In a device of the character stated, end members, a slotted metallic tube mounted in Said end members, a plurality7 of concentric glass tubes of different diameters situated within one another and mounted in the end members, means for independently packing said tubes within the end members intermediate their ends, and an unpacked transparent member situated between the glass tubes.

6. In a device of the character stated, end members, a slotted metallic tube mounted in said end members, a plurality of concentric glass tubes of different diameters situated within one another and mounted in the end members, means for independently packing said tubes within the end members interme` diate their ends, and a sheet of unpacked mica situated between the glass tubes.

7. In a device of the character stated, end members, a slotted metallic tube mounted in said end members, a plurality of concentric glass tubes of different diameters situated within one another and mounted in the end members, means for independently packing said tubes within the end members intermediate their ends, and a mica member situated within the inner tube and snugly fitting the inner face thereof.

S. In a device of the character stated, a slotted metal tube, a gland nut mounted on each end thereof, a glass tube mounted in the gland nuts, another glass tube situated within the first named glass tube and mounted in the gland nuts, means for packing said glass tubes independently of one another intermediate their ends within the gland nuts, other gland nuts mounted on the first named gland nuts, nipples projecting from said last named gland nuts, and means mounted in one of the gland nuts for relieving the pressure between the glass tubes.

9. In a device of the character stated, a slotted metal tube, gland nuts mounted on each end thereof, a glass tube mounted in the gland nuts, another glass tube situated within the first named glass tube and mounted in the gland nuts, means for packing said glass tubes independently of one another intermediate their ends within the gland nuts, other gland nuts mounted on the first named gland nuts, nipples projecting from said last named gland nuts, and means mounted in lone of the gland nuts for relieving the pressure between the glass tubes, said means comprising a casing in communication with the space between the glass tubes having an outlet leading therefrom and provided with a valve seat, a valve fitted to said valve seat, a spring for normally holding said valve upon its seat, means for regulating the tension of said spring and means for drawing the valve off its seat.

l0.v In a device of the character stated, a slotted metal tube, a washer disk mounted in each end, gland nuts threaded on each end of the tube, said gland nuts having shoulders on the interior thereof, a glass tube situated within the slotted metal tube, and having its ends mounted in the gland nuts, a packing situated between the washer disk and one of the shoulders of each of the gland nuts, for packing the glass tube intermediate its ends, a second glass tube situated within the first named glass tube and having its ends mounted in the gland nuts, a packing for packing thel second named glass tube intermediate its ends, other gland nuts mounted on the rst named gland nuts for compressing said packing between one of the shoulders in each of the first named gland nuts and the last named gland nuts and nipples projecting from said last named gland nuts, whereby the device may be attached to a boiler fixture.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS A. POCOCK.

Witnesses:

MARY E. I-IAMER, S. S. WILLIAMSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

